BEIJING -- Parcels from China accounted for 38 percent of cross-border parcels worldwide, the country's postal authorities said Tuesday.

China's postal industry handled 350 billion yuan (about $50 billion) worth of cross-border e-commerce transactions, said Ma Junsheng, head of the State Post Bureau.

"The postal network under the Universal Postal Union is the main channel for cross-border shipping of e-commerce items," said Liu Aili, chairman of China Post Group.

Post is becoming the go-to option for cross-border e-commerce logistics due to its wide coverage, low cost and expediency, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Data showed that post was responsible for 70 percent of cross-border shipping of parcels globally in 2018.

International railways are the mainstay of China's cross-border land transport, delivering more than 10 million items to 24 countries across Europe so far, according to the China Post Group.